Jim Caldwell's quotes from Friday

Below is a look at what Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell had to say on Friday. (Quotes provided by the Lions.)

On DE Ezekiel Ansah's availability this weekend: "Without question, he's been improving. He'll end up doing a little bit today and then we'll see how that goes."

On what Ansah can do when healthy: "He does provide pressure for us and has done a good job of collapsing the pocket.  He's certainly done a fine job also, when there's been guys that have been able to escape and get out on the perimeter, he can run you down. He has good speed and he's also been a force in the running game as well."

On making adjustments due to CB Cassius Vaughn and other injuries: "In this league you have to make adjustments. That's one of the things that we started out, even earlier in the year, we talked about the difficulties of playing in the National Football League. There are going to be guys that are up, going to be down, going to be situations where we're going to have to adjust and I think our guys, from an intellectual standpoint, feel and understand that they can adapt better than anyone. They're going to have to in a number of different situations, not only that position, but it's going to come about week in and week out. We're faced with a couple challenges here and there but nothing that we can't overcome."

On if injuries change what he does schematically: "Certainly. One of the things that you have to take a real good look at is that there are some things you can do exactly the same and there's some things that happen where you have to play towards that individual's strengths. So, it may allow you to do a few other things that you weren't able to do before. The conversely, the antithesis of that would be, there are some weaknesses that may come to light as well. Schematically, you want to stay away from those things that put you in bad positions."

On who plays the nickel cornerback if Vaughn can't: "We have a few different guys that can work it, that's the great thing about it. We have some guys that are flexible; (Danny) Gorrer certainly is a guy who plays the nickel, Don Carey is also a guy that plays the nickel as well, so we do have some options there. Rashean Mathis can also play the nickel if need be. He can slide inside, he's versatile and has done it before."

On if Ansah played through the injury against the Panthers: "I'm not going to get into the details of it, but he was able to finish the game. I think, like I said, you'll see him do a few things today and see how that goes."

On if he looks at a player's performance in the past when determining playing time: "Very little, primarily because of the fact that every week and year is different. You have to take it as it presents itself, it is what it is this week and guys that are ready to go will go and the guys that can't go, we'll have guys that step in. We have the ‘next man up theory' which I think you'll see hold true."

On the importance of playing with a lead and playing with a field position advantage: "The kind of way you look at football there's some advantages to the question that you are asking. You just never know how games are going to go, you know what I mean? You have to be able to battle through, you have to anticipate in this league that typically it's a grind. It's one of those things where it's kind of a back and forth games are rather close. I think over 70-percent of the games that you either try to hold a team off they have the ball trying to drive either to kick a field goal to tie or a touchdown to win or vice versa you're on the other end of that. Most games are fairly tight so your leads really aren't leads in this league unless it's substantial. We kind of anticipate that it's going to be a grind. It's going to be a hard fought battle and obviously when we look at that to be able to endure, make plays when we need to make plays is going to be key for us."

On possibility of moving the team's top CB to follow Packers WR Randall Cobb: "When you're facing talent like that you look at all options and adjust accordingly."

On what Cobb does well: "Obviously he's a guy that has top end speed, I mean can really run. He's a game breaker. He's a guy that can catch a five-yard slant and turn it into substantial gain. He's a guy that's certainly tough, not afraid to catch the ball over the middle or in traffic. I think that's also demonstrated with his return game because he does a great job in that phase also. He gives you all kinds of problems. He's more than an adequate blocker, he gets after it and he's a guy that certainly I think is a good complement to (Jordy) Nelson on the outside."

On Packers rookie WR Davante Adams: "He's made some plays obviously, he's coming along. He's come along and made some things happen and a guy that kind of emerged for them. (Jarrett) Boykin was certainly one of the guys that everybody would anticipate would be in that position to make some plays, but Adams has come along and done well."

On how pleased he has been with special teams coverage units: "They're going to get put to the test every week you know that. They've been able to certainly keep some guys bottled up but for the most part what we try and do is not necessarily rest on our laurels. Every game you got to prove. This game is really going to give us a challenge in that regard and these guys do a great job in that phase."   

On how ready DE Larry Webster is to contribute: "If he's called upon to do so, he's a guy that has talent. He's young and he's developing, but he does have power, he does have speed and he's tenacious. I think you could see during the preseason that he made a few things happen in the game in which he was able to get in and play. He's consistently trying to do everything he can to get bigger, stronger, faster and gain the necessary experience to be a real factor in this league."

On how pleased he is with how DT Nick Fairley has responded since the preseason: "You have to certainly take your hat off to him in the way in which he's responded to a little bit of adversity early on during the preseason. He's come back and played extremely well last week. Every week he's gotten a little bit better in terms of performance. He's been able to get himself in position where he is highly productive in both the run and pass. We've been pleased with his progress, but looking at him, you really haven't scratched the surface with where he can be. He's quite a talent."

On what FB Jed Collins has brought to the team and if it's a bonus to get a touchdown out of a fullback: "Yeah, it is a bonus. I think that's the first one around here since 2006, (Cory) Schlesinger caught one. It's good to also have a threat at fullback who can catch the ball and run with it, but he also has given us some help just in terms of protection. Not only that, lead blocking, in terms of some of our lead plays as well. He's done some good things for us at this."

On when WR Ryan Broyles will receive playing time: "I can understand why the question and the interest because of the fact that he had a very good preseason. He was able to do a lot of good things for us and we anticipate at some point in time that he might be able to help us. We'll see. It could be this week, it could be next week, it could be the week after."

On P Sam Martin's performance thus far this season: "I think he's done well, but this game is going to be one where we need him to be at his absolute best, particularly in the punt return game and in the kickoffs. Obviously, he hasn't given very many people an opportunity to return any of them and we like that. I think that helps our defense. It ensures that a team is going to have to march the ball quite a distance in order to put it in the end zone. Your percentages are down when you have to do that consistently and he certainly has given us an opportunity to get our defense in position to keep people out of the end zone. They've kicked a few field goals on us, but overall, what he's done for us has been good. Now, we need him to be great this week in terms of our punt return game."

On if he wants all of the kickoffs out of the end zone: "There's no question with these guys. They have a number of guys back there that do a good job in the return game, I think. That's the great thing, Sam gives us that opportunity. In the punt return game, they do a nice job in that area and they've got a dangerous guy (WR Randall Cobb) back there, so we'll have to cover well and we're going to have to punt well."